Fabric straightening and guiding device



H. EVANS. FABRIC STRAIGHTENING AND GUIDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I9. I920.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. EVANS.

FABRIC STRAIGHTENING AND GUIDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. I920.

Patented Apr.19,1921.- I

2 SHEETSS*HEET 2.

EYE;

HUMPHREY EVANS, or MILWAUKEE, "WISCONSIN, assrenon 'ro Hornrnoor HOSIERY '00.,- or MILWAUKEE,'WISCO1\TSIN, A oonronarron or WISCONSIN.

FABRIC s'rnarenrnnrne AND GUIDING DEVICE.

Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Aprnit), 1921.

- Application filed June19, 1920. Serial No. 390,250.

TaaZZ whom it may concern:

Belt known that I, HUMPHREY EVANS, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at'M1lwaukee, in the county of ltdilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric Straightening and Guiding"Devices,"of

which the following is a specification, refer ence being had to the accompanying draw ing,forming a part thereof.

The main ob ect of this nvention 1S to untwi'st or uncurl and straighten and to guide ribbedorridged fabrics parallel with r the ribs, ridges or wales thereof, for performing certain operationsthereon such as folding, imitation seaming, stitching, etc.

It consists in the construction, arrange:

ment andcombination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying eral figures.

Figure l is a front elevation ofa fabric straightening and guiding device embody ing the invention, and of an overstitoh sewing or selvage seaming machine, in connection with which the device is designed to he used; Fig. 2 is an enlarged'plan view of a portion of the straightening and guidlng device and of the sewing machine; Fig. 3 is or other ribbed or ridged fabrics parallel 'with the ribs, ridges or wales-thereof, for

performing various operations thereon, such as folding, stitching, etc. Y I I For the purpose of illustration the device is shown and will bedescribed as specially designed for folding and stitching or seaming'seamless tubular hosiery, underwear and the like, with a sewing machine provided with folding and feeding mechanism for.

withdrawing the fabric from the straightening and guiding device and presenting it in proper position and condition to the needle or stitchingmechanism of the sewing machine.

, drawing like char- I acters deslgnate the same parts in thesev- The device'ooinprises a fabric supporting arm 1, mounted adjacent one end in a substantially horizontalposition' on a post or standard 2, which may be screwed 'or otherwise fastened by afoot, flange or plate 3 to a table or shelf 4 on which the sewing machine 5 is placed. This arm as shown, is of cylindrical or tubular form, and may be conveniently made of metal with a convex rounded upper fabric-supporting surface;

Adjacent its free or unsupported end,the

arm is formed with'a transverse recess, in

which a brush 7 is fastened. The brush is preferably of circular form as shown, and ofsmaller diameter than the arm 1, and is provided .with, radiating bristles of hair, fiber,wire or other suitable flexible material,

which project on the upper side a short distance above the adjacent curved or rounded i fabric-supporting surface of the arm, as

shown inFigs. 1 and 4.. The brush is cen-..

trally fastened in the arm by a screw 8, on

, which it is angularly adjustable so as to bring'unusedibristles into operative position when the exposed bristles on the upper side are worn down. The central opening inthe brush ismade larger than the screw,

so that the brush can be adjusted vertically to vary the extent of projection of the brush.

bristles above the fabric-supporting surface of the arm.

In a longitudinal slot of the arm 1, a

pressure arm or lever 10 is pivoted on a cross pin 11, one end extendmg below the arm and being bent upwardly or formed with an upwardly projecting finger 12, adjacent the brush end of the arm. The other end of the arm or lever 10 projecting above the supporting arm 1, is connected by a spring 14 with a bracket 15, fastened to the arm '1 or the post or standard 2.

' Adjacent'the brush 7 the arm 1 is formed in its upper side, as shown in Figs. 1- and 2, with opposite finger notches 17, separated from each other by a narrow central partition piece.

The end of the pressure arm or lever 10 opp'ositethe finger 12 is connected by a cord or chain 18 passing downwardly through the post 2 and table a underneath and over guide sheaves or pulleys 19 and 20, to a treadle or foot lever 21, by which the finger end of said pressure arm or lever is elevated against the tension of the spring 14: toward imitation seam centrally in the back of a stocking, the arm 1 is provided at the end adjacent the sewing machine with gage points 26.

In the operation of the device for forming mock or imitationseams centrally along the backs of seamless stocking legs, the finger end of the arm 10 being elevated as indie cated by dotted llnes in Fig. 1, a stocking is;

placed on the arm 1 with the corners of the heel on the gage points 26, in position for starting a seam. The operator then grasps the fabric with'a thumb and finger of each hand, forming a fold over the upper end of the finger 12 and the partition piece between the notches 17, and. enters the fold thus formed between the feed wheels 23. The arm or lever 10 being released, is pressed downwardly by the spring 14k against the under side of the stocking, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby holding the fabric in engagement with the bristles on the upper side ofthe brush 7, which by engagement with the ribs or wales of the fabric, un-

twists or uncurls and straightcns it, so that a straight fold and seam will be formed parallel with the ribsor wales of the fabric without further care or attention on the part of the operator.

After the fold is entered between the feed wheels above which it projects into the path of the needle 24, the stocking is drawn by the feed wheels over the brush 7, and

is straightened by engagement of the brush bristles with the ribs or wales of the fabric,

as shown in, Fig. 4, so that the fold, which is continued by the action of the feed wheels and the seam will follow a straight line parallel with the ribs or wales of the fabric.

Various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of thedevice may be made to adapt it to operate on knitted or ribbed fabrics of different kinds and articles of different shapes so as to straighten and guide them in a direction parallel with the ribs or wales of the fabric for performing various operations thereon such as folding, seaming or stitching, without departure from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of a support and a brush mounted thereon and ,adaptedby enposition of the bristles projecting from the fabric supporting surfaceof the arm and adapted by en-s gagement with ribs of a fabric moved over said surface/to stiaighten and guide the fabric parallel with its ribs.

8. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of a fabric supporting arm, a brush mounted thereon and means for yieldingly pressinga fabricmoved along the arm against thebrush. v

4. In a fabric straightening and guiding device, the combination of a rounded arm supported adjacent one end thereofand formed adjacent its free end with a transverse recess, and a circular brush mounted and angularly' adjustable insaid recess with bristles projecting therefrom beyond the adjacent fabric supporting surface of the arm. I

5. In a fabric straighteningand guiding device the combination of an arm supported adjacent one end and provided adjacent the other end with a bristle brush projecting abovethe upper fabric supporting surface of the arm, a lever'pivoted to said arm, a spring tending to force the lever downward. below the brush and to hold a tubular. article 1 supported on the arm in yielding-engage ment with the brush, and means for turning v the lever upwardtoward the brush .end

. of the arm. I

6. In a fabric'straightening and guiding device the combination of a fabric support- 5 ing arm provided adjacent one'end with a brush projecting upwardly therefrom, a, pressure arm pivoted to thefirstarm and tending normally to press a tubular article downward against the brush, and means for shifting the pressure arm upward toward the brush for placing an article on the supporting arm, the pressure arm having an upwardly projecting folding finger adjacent the brush.

7. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination with fabric feeding mechanism of a fabric supporting arm di. rected toward said feeding mechanism and provided adjacent thereto with a b-ristle brush arranged to engage the fabric sup-' ported on said arm and to straighten and guide the fabric to the feedingmechanism parallel with theribs of the fabric.

8. A fabric'straightening and guiding device comprising an-arm having a rounded upper fabric supporting surface, a brush provided with bristles projecting above said supporting surface, and opposite finger notches adjacent the brush.

9. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of a longitudinally slotted fabric supporting arm having a support at one end and provided adjacent the other end with a brush having bristles proj ecting a short distance above its upper surface, a lever pivoted in the slot of the arm and having an upturned end adjacent the brush,"means tending to depress the upturned end of the lever and a connection for raising the upturned end of the lever.

10. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of a fabric supporting arm provided adjacent one end With a bristle brush and adjacent the brush with opposite folding notches, and a folding finger movable into and out of operative position on the opposite side of the brush from 1 said notches. Y

11. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of an arm having an upper fabric supporting surface and a recess adjacent one end, and a brush held and vertically adjustable in said recess and having bristles projecting upwardly therefrom imbove the adjacent fabric supporting surace.

12. In a fabric straightening and guiding device the combination of an arm having an upper fabric supporting surface and gage points at one end and a brush mounted on said arm adjacent the gagepoints and having bristles projecting upwardly above the fabric supporting surface.

In Witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

HUMPHREY EVANS. 

